ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, at the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, will visit Pakistan on 16-17 Feb before traveling onwards to India, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is scheduled to call on President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his trip. He will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation including other members of the royal family, key ministers, and leading businessmen who will be meeting their counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation in their respective fields. During his stay, a number of agreements and MoUs related to diverse sectors, including investment, finance, power, renewable energy, internal security, media, culture and sports worth over $10 billion will be signed.

As part of security measures, there will be over 1,000 check points set up in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and law enforcement officials will be posted along the twin cities’ main routes, from which heavy traffic will be barred for two days. The metro bus service will remain restricted to Rawalpindi, the sources said. Additionally, shoot-on-sight orders have been issued for drones and other remote-controlled aviation toys, the sources added. Saudi security and intelligence officials are expected to be present across the capital for the two days that the crown prince is visiting. The Islamabad Expressway will be shut for the VVIP movement, while the route from Koral Chowk to Faisal Avenue 15 u-turn will be shut down at various times.

Murree Road ─ from the Faizabad Interchange to Serena Chowk will remain closed, while Shahrah-i-Dastoor will be shut down from Radio Pakistan to Serena Hotel. Traffic from Peshawar, Kahuta and Murree will be diverted to an alternative route, the sources said. Sources in the capital administration suggested that those going to offices or schools leave their homes earlier than usual in order to avoid facing inconvenience.